Seminars

Imperial College London

What are seminars?

“Active learning seminars” are used to improve student learning and engagement (Deslauriers 2011; Freeman et al. 2014; Von Korff et al. 2016). Their ethos is deeply rooted in social constructivism and requires students to apply the knowledge they gained in lectures by working on unseen problems in a groups. This reproduces the conditions of a real-life research scenario, where discussion and collaboration are central to reaching a solution. Students build upon their previous knowledge and experience through peer interaction, using progressively higher-order cognitive skills such as analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. The role of the lecturer/tutor during these sessions is not to give a “correct” answer, but to guide the students in discovering the solution themselves.

Why seminars?

The traditional, lecture-based approach to teaching has proved to not be as effective at increasing students’ performance and understanding, as more active methods such as interactive demonstrations, research projects, or, in this case, seminars. More active learning methods have also been recommended by the IoP.

Seminars increase students’ understanding of the subject, and by applying them to novel problems the students learn real-life research and investigation skills. Additionally, they improve students’ communication and collaboration skills, and foster a sense of community (Exley et. al., 2019).

This is in line with the recommendations by European (Angouri, 2021) and American (Boyer Commission) educational institutions for teaching in the 21st century. Interdisciplinary skills such as problem solving and data analysis, and “soft skills” such as time management or interpersonal communication, are key to the development of an STEM professional ready to tackle our rapidly-changing economic and scientific climate.

Why diversity?

Physics is persistently one of the least diverse STEM subjects. Students from underrepresented minorities (URMs), women, and non-white students score consistently lower than the white male majority (Martins et. al., 2021). This can be due to a variety of reasons, for instance isolation (academic, cultural and social), actual or perceived discrimination, and stereotype threat. In general, belonging to a minority will pose a series of heightened challenges to the minority student, who can thus get discouraged from pursuing science further (Summers and Hrabowski, 2007).

In a world where STEM professionals are in high demand, and where diversity of backgrounds is often the key to creative solutions, it is unacceptable and ineffective not to have an inclusive, diversity-friendly curriculum.

Seminars for a diverse curriculum

Seminars can provide an unmatched environment for developing problem-solving skills and discussion.

If well-structured with a thought to inclusivity, they can become a safe space for everyone to voice their ideas without judgement. They can foster relationships between the students, stimulate deep discussions and understanding, and can help students with diverse learning styles by employing a variety of techniques.  

However, they can also become echo chambers of negative views and can amplify feelings of isolation and inadequacy. There can be anxiety around actual or perceived judgement from peers and/or pressure to perform at a certain level. There can also be passivity, lack of motivation, and lack of understanding how the seminar can relate to the course content and assessments.

The following is a summary of suggestions based on the experience of seminar leaders from across Imperial.

  • Keep it clear. Both for non-native speakers and for neurodiverse learners.  

  • Keep it real. Students are proven to learn better and faster when the problem is based on a real-world scenario.  

  • Keep it relevant. Present problems and solutions that tie to the students’ real life experience.  

  • Keep it diverse. Different people learn in different ways. A variety of teaching methods and materials can help make the seminars more accessible to everyone (see next point). Additionally, keep the problems/scenarios varied and not anglo/white-centric.

  • Keep it accessible. Use AV recordings, interactive demonstrations, videos, simulations. If using some specific material (e.g. PowerPoint presentations) provide them ahead of time. Inform students of the seminar’s topic, so that they can fill the gaps in their knowledge in advance and make the most out of the session.